ESL Telephone Skills - Voice Mail Greeting

What do a concert piano and a voice mail greeting have in common?
Both need regular fine-tuning.
On the answering machine at home
I usually leave a short outgoing message.
“You’ve reached the number for Natasha Cooper.
Sorry, I missed your call. Please leave a message.”
Or even shorter:
“This is Natasha Cooper. Please leave a message.”
At work I regularly update my voice mail greeting to let callers know
what’s a good time to catch me in, or when to expect a callback.
“This is Natasha Cooper. It is Monday, December 6th.
I’ll be away from my desk until 2 p.m.
If you would like to leave a message,
please do so after the tone.”
If I am going to be absent longer than a day,
I leave the number of a colleague or my secretary.
“I’ll be out of the office until Thursday the eleventh.
Please leave a message after the tone or call Linda Ferguson, extension 521.”
Leaving on a trip, I change the outgoing message again.
“I’m traveling until June 17th. My voice mail is unable
to keep messages for more than a week.
Please call back and leave your message after June 10th.”
To friends who sometimes have a hard time understanding phone messages,
I recommend the use of a voice mail greeting like this:
“This is [your first and last name].
Help me get your message right.
Please speak slowly and clearly, spell your name,
and repeat your number twice. Thank you.”
Let’s hope that callers will pay attention.

© 2009 Natasha Cooper

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with it: Natasha Cooper, author of Power English System, helps international professionals to succeed by learning powerful communication skills. If you want to improve your English, then you’ll want to get Natasha’s F-R-E-E weekly Power English Minute E-zine by visiting www.englishskills.com.

Taking Messages

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When it comes to taking messages,
I follow the “Three GET’s” Rule:
get the message, get it right, then get it to the right person!
"He’s not available right now,"
I say, answering a colleague’s phone. Right away I offer:
“I’d be glad to take a message for him.’
"Tell him Jim called," says the caller.
Jim who?
"May I have your last name, please?"
"Matuschechek." Better safe than sorry.
Why don’t I ask him to spell it?
"Could you spell that?"
And it doesn’t hurt to double-check.
"Let me read that back to you.
M - A - T - U - S - C - H - E - C - H - E - K."
Now I need to find out what company he is with.
"And who are you with, Jim?"
And his phone number.
"At what number can he reach you?"
Then I double-check to avoid mistakes.
"That’s 222 - 555 - 0000..."
I don’t recognize the area code, so I ask:
"What city is that in?"
Could that be in a different time zone?
"What time is it there?"
Now - the message.
"And what’s the message?"
And a convenient time to call him back.
"When’s the best time to call you?"
That should be all.
"Thank you. I’ll make sure he gets the message."
Okay, what’s next? …
Oh yes, get it to the right person!

© 2009 Natasha Cooper

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with it: Natasha Cooper, author of Power English System, helps international professionals to succeed by learning powerful communication skills. If you want to improve your English, then you’ll want to get Natasha’s F-R-E-E weekly Power English Minute E-zine by visiting www.englishskills.com.

4 Simple Steps To Handling Wrong Numbers And Feeling Good About It

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IF YOU DIAL THE WRONG NUMBER

STEP 1 – APOLOGIZE.
It is rude to hang up without saying anything. It does not matter that you remain anonymous on the phone and that in all probability you’ll never meet the person on the other end. The rule of thumb is to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Remember, what goes around comes around! Offer a simple apology to the person whose number you got by mistake. “Sorry, I got the wrong number.”

STEP 2 – CHECK THE NUMBER
It is always prudent to check whether you’ve reached the number you intended to dial. “I was dialing 555.321... Is this the right number?” This keeps you from reaching the wrong party a second time.

STEP 3 – THANK THE RECIPIENT
A courtesy goes a long way. Simply say: “Thank you for your help.”

STEP 4 – SAY GOOD-BYE
Depending on the time of day, I like to say: “Have a good day” or “Have a good night.” Notice how you feel when you treat others with respect. YOU will feel so much better and you will attract good things to YOU.


IF OTHERS DIAL YOUR NUMBER BY MISTAKE

STEP 1 – EXPLAIN that they’ve reached the wrong number.
“You’ve got the wrong number.”

STEP 2 – CHECK whether they’ve reached the number they intended to dial. “What number are you dialing?” This will keep them from calling you a second time. If they intended to dial your number, but are asking for the wrong person, you can say: "That's my number, but there's no one here by that name." If the caller intended to call a business and got your home number, you can say: "This is a private residence."

STEP 3 – ACCEPT the apologies.
Say: "No problem."

STEP 4 – SAY GOOD-BYE
Say kindly and with a smile: “Have a good day” or “Have a good night.” depending on the time of day.

© 2008 Natasha Cooper

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Natasha Cooper, author of Power English System, helps international professionals and newcomers to America to succeed in the U.S. by learning American English and powerful communication skills. If you want tips on improving your English, then you’ll want to get Natasha’s F-R-E-E weekly Power English Minute E-zine by visiting www.englishskills.com.

You must have the wrong number

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“Hello, is Brian there?” Someone got the wrong number.
I reply: “I’m sorry. There is no Brian here. You have the wrong number.”
But the caller is being persistent: “Is this 765-4321?”
No, that’s not my number. “No, you must have misdialed.”
“I’m sorry,” says the caller.
“No problem. Have a good day.”
Less than five minutes later the phone rings again.
“This is Natasha Cooper.”
This time someone is trying to reach a bookstore, so I have to explain: “I am sorry. This is a private residence. You’ve got the wrong number.”
A few minutes later I get another call: “Who is this?”
I think it’s my turn to ask a question. “Excuse me, who are you trying to reach?”
The caller gives a long name.
No, this is definitely the wrong number. “Sorry, I’m afraid you got the wrong number.”
Maybe I should check the number. “What number are you dialing?”
The caller reads my number.
“That’s my number all right, but there’s no one here by that name.”
“I must have the wrong number,” says the caller apologetically. “Thank you.”
After a brief silence the phone starts ringing. Not again!
“Hello!”
“May I talk to Natasha Cooper?”
Thank heavens! It’s really for me. “This is she.”

© 2008 Natasha Cooper

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Natasha Cooper, author of Power English System, helps international professionals and newcomers to America to succeed in the U.S. by learning American English and powerful communication skills. If you want tips on improving your English, then you’ll want to get Natasha’s F-R-E-E weekly Power English Minute E-zine by visiting www.englishskills.com.

Do you want them to remember your name?

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The last thing you say is the first thing the caller remembers.
So, if you want the caller to remember your name, when answering the phone, instead of "Mary Smith speaking", say, "This is Mary Smith".

© 2008 Natasha Cooper

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Natasha Cooper, author of Power English System, helps international professionals and newcomers to America to succeed in the U.S. by learning American English and powerful communication skills. If you want tips on improving your English, then you’ll want to get Natasha’s F-R-E-E weekly Power English Minute E-zine by visiting www.englishskills.com.